By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

After Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) employees claimed collusion between their union and VTI President Leo Rey Yanson led to their “illegal termination,” the VTI Workers Union and the Philippine Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (PACIWU-TUCP) denied the allegation at a press conference yesterday.
PACIWU-TUCP National President Hernani Braza and VTI Union President Franny Santarin insisted they helped affected workers, which they claimed resulted in 80 of them getting their jobs back.
“We have reaching out to the employees but they made it difficult for themselves,” they noted. “Those employees abandoned their work after the standoff and went AWOL.”
However, they added, those who sought their help all returned to work.
The union officials also said they previously warned employees not to take sides in the ongoing feud within the Yanson family, who owns VTI.
During a press conference earlier this week, the concerned employees said they decided to come out in order to inform the public about their union and claimed they were let go following the return of Leo Roy Yanson as company president.
“We strongly condemn our dismissal from work without justifiable reason and process,” they said. “We were forced to sign blank documents, which we consider an oppressive move against us, the employees; it is also a maltreatment to us as individuals.”/DGB, WDJ